Rear cutting brakes w/ drums

[Herzog]

I'm thinking about setting up some rear cutting brakes, but I still run drum brakes on my rear axle. No real complaint with them really, but should I switch over to disk brakes first?

Who has experience with the CNC cutting brakes? Do they have 1 port in 2 ports out or will I have to run two separate lines in for each side?

 

[Caleb]

You can get the CNC brakes in any configuration (2 in 2 out, 1 in 2 out, etc). Mine had 1 in and 2 out if I remember correctly. I don't think there would be any problem running with drums. However, will a single one of your drums be able to lock up that tire? Usually, as I'm sure you know, drums don't have the power of discs, so a single drum may not cut it. Given you're a buggy, and a decently light buggy maybe a single drum will be fine. It probably wouldn't hurt anything to try it, if it doesn't work, then you could upgrade and probably not have to change anything out depending on how your setup is.

 

[ricsrx]

in the days with my old buggies all we had were drum brakes, it makes no difference.
but your drum brakes have to be set up good to work, and by good i mean like they should anyway.

I had a set on another buggy that grabed the disc so good the caliper stayed with the disc and ripped off of the bracket.

 

[BCGPER]

I had Jamar cutters on my rail. 1 port in, two out. Worked well with my drums, I could skid one wheel easily. A Willwood 10# residual valve will help a bunch. My cutters didn't work well without the valve.

 

[Meat_]

Do you have a 9" in the rear? The expedition 9.25 brakes will bolt to most 9"..... then you'll have disc and drum e-brake

 

[notajeep]

I have the cnc cutting brakes on my buggy and drums on 14 bolt. A few things to remember about drums,
They take less fluid to opperate.
Once locked up, they tend to stay locked up.

One thing that I would change with my cutting brakes would be to split them from to rear and not side to side just on the rear. Burn turns (at least for me) seem to work much better with both rear tires locked, rather than just the inside one.
Hope this helps some. I say stick with the drums.

 

[Herzog]

What about a line lock for both rear brakes? I'm thinking it might not matter much if you can lock one or the other side unless you have a selectable locker, right?

 

[Chevycrew]

In theory, with a rear locker, one brake applied, and no input power to the axle...

The locker should ratchet allowing the turn.

 

[Herzog]

In theory, with a rear locker, one brake applied, and no input power to the axle...

The locker should ratchet allowing the turn.

A locker never allows one wheel to go slower than the other, but it will allow one wheel to coast faster than the other.

So in my head braking one side shouldn't allow the other to spin faster, only an open diff would allow that. Also, I think ratcheting only occurs when the differential isn't fully engage via the center pins which throw the clutches outward and lock.

I could see braking the back end and only having to drag one tire to make the sharp turn. It would be better than nothing... and easier to setup.

-edit.. duh. But the rear axle wouldn't be under any power. It would be full coast so the locker should ratchet. I think you are right.

 

[Chevycrew]

You beat me to it... I was confused, but was trying to figure out how to word my response.

 

[Meat_]

...
-edit.. duh. But the rear axle wouldn't be under any power. It would be full coast so the locker should ratchet. I think you are right.

Yup. What do you have in your rear?

 

[Herzog]

Yup. What do you have in your rear?

Detroit

 

[Meat_]

Yup, as soon as you let off the gas or shift the rear out it will unlock... watched Shawn's work that way for about a half mile coming out of Con on Saturday

 

[I Lean]

Different rigs behave differently, but I found on my first one that the cutting brakes didn't do too much unless I held both of them--just not enough weight on the one rear tire to really stop anything. Because of that, I just did a line lock on the rear line of my second one, and it worked fine. The current owner switched it to have a line lock on each wheel, so he can have single-wheel brakes whenever he wants to. That buggy probably carried more of it's weight in the rear than my first, so one wheel locked would be more effective.

And yes, your Detroit will release when you're in FWD.

 

[Bart]

I ran cutter brakes on a couple rigs and line locks on one. I didn't care for the line locks too much.

 

[rockdog]

On my truck, I tried a line lock to both rear. 14 bolt drums. It didn't work to good. Now I've put in a small ball valve in line. It seems to work ok. I would try it with drums first. Your not out anything if it doesn't work out like you want.